JPH05250112A - Print output control system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To inform again a user of the print output complete time when the printer queue contents are changed in a print output wait condition. CONSTITUTION:When a user produces a print output request at the side of a client 11, the output complete time of a new print job is drawn out. Then the print output complete time is acquired based on the information on the print job included in a printer queue 31-3 and then informed to the user. Furthermore the print output complete time is informed again to the user based on the print job information on the queue 31-3 when the print job kept in a print wait state by a spooler 31-2 is changed.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a print server system in a network environment.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 62-274331, the notification of the print output completion time with respect to the print output request is made only at the time of the print output request, and is changed to some print output requests waiting for the print output. However, when it is necessary to change the other print output completion times, there is no such thing as re-notifying the print output requesters corresponding to the respective print output requests.

[0003]

As described above, conventionally, when the print output completion times of some print output requests in the print output waiting state are changed, there is no way to know the change times. The problem arises that the print data at the time notified at the time of print output request is mistaken for the requested print data. The present invention is intended to solve this problem.

[0004]

In order to solve the above problems, according to the present invention, a means for calculating a print output completion time for a print output request designated by a print output requester at the time of print output request, a print output A means for storing the completion time, a means for calculating the print output completion time when the print output request is changed in the print output waiting state, and a means for re-notifying the print output completion time when the print output request is changed in the print output waiting state are provided.

[0005]

When the print output request is changed in the print output waiting state, the means for calculating the print output completion time for the print output request specified by the print output requester at the time of print output request, and storing the print output completion time When the print output request is changed in the print output waiting state by the means, the print output completion time stored in advance at the time of the print output request is used, and the print output completion time is calculated when the print output request is changed in the print output waiting state. Of the remaining print output requests waiting for print output by using the means for obtaining the print output completion time of the print output request and re-notifying the print output requester of the print output completion time when the print output is changed in the print output waiting state. Print output completion time It is possible to re-notify the print output requester.

[0006]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. It should be noted that the embodiment also includes the content of notifying the print output requester (hereinafter referred to as a user) of the print output completion time when the print output is requested.

FIG. 2 is an example of a diagram showing a system configuration on which the present invention is based. Reference numerals 11 and 12 denote transmission side systems (hereinafter referred to as clients), 20 denotes communication lines (hereinafter referred to as networks), 31 and 32 denote reception side systems (hereinafter referred to as servers), 31-2 ，
32-2 is a spooler, 31-3, 32-3 are printer queues, 41, 42 are printers, 51, 52, 53, 54.
Is an information processing device (hereinafter referred to as a workstation). Each workstation 51, 52, 5
3, 54 are connected via the network 20.
The network is a branch type in this embodiment.
Of the workstations 51, 52, 53, 54,
The workstations 51 and 52 to which the printers 41 and 42 are connected serve as servers, and the other workstations 53 and 54 serve as clients. In such a system, the application programs operating on the workstations 53 and 54 are connected to each other via the network 20.
It is possible to request print output from the printers 41 and 42 connected to the printers 1 and 52. In this embodiment, one server, one client, and one printer queue exist in the spooler of the server for simplification of description. Although it is assumed that the client and the server are on different workstations, they may actually exist on the same workstation.

This embodiment is shown in FIG. 1 based on the above assumption. 11 is a client, 11-1 is an operating system, 11-2 is a client-side network driver, 20 is a network, 31 is a server, 31-
1 is a server side network driver, 31-2 is a spooler, 31-3 is a printer queue, 31-4 is a printer driver, and 41 is a printer. When a user makes a print output request at the client 11, a new print job (hereinafter referred to as a new print job) is issued in response to the print output request, and the client 11 causes the server 3
1 is transferred together with the print data. In the server 31, the printer queue 31-3 in the spooler 31-2
When a new print job is registered in the spool and print data for the new print job is spooled, the print data is counted by a certain unit for each data type. Then, based on them, the print output completion time for the new print job is calculated, and the value is stored as one of the information regarding the print job (hereinafter referred to as job data). Next, the print output completion time for the new print job is obtained from the total print output completion time of the job data of all the print jobs in the printer queue 31-3, and the user is notified. Through such a process, some of all print jobs registered in the spooler 31-2 undergo a change process such as deletion in response to a queue content change command from the client 11, and accordingly other print jobs When the print output completion time is changed, the print output completion time of the job data is recalculated and the changed print output completion time is re-notified to the corresponding user. Here, print data from the client to the server, transfer of a new print job, and notification from the server to the user of the client are performed via the operating system 11-1, the network drivers 11-2 and 31-1, and the network 20, and printing is performed. Is executed via the print driver 31-4.

FIG. 3 is a flow chart showing details of the print output request processing contents described in FIG. When processing is started on the client side in 100, first, in 110, the user makes a print output request to the printer. 1
At 20, a new print job for the print request is issued, at 130, the print data is transferred from the client to the server, and at 140, the processing on the client side ends. After that, in the process on the server side, the process is started at 150, the new print job is registered at 160 at the printer queue in the spooler of the server, and when the print data is spooled, the print data is sorted by data type. Count in a certain unit. 17
At 0, the print output completion time of the new print job is calculated based on the counted value of 160 and stored in the job data of the new print job. At 180, the print output completion time of the new print job is obtained from the total print output completion time of the job data of all print jobs in the printer queue, and the user is notified. At 190, the processing on the server side ends.

FIG. 4 shows an example 200 of the job data used in the processing of FIG. The following items are stored for each print job. 201 is a value indicating the name of a user who has issued a print output request for this print job, and 202 is a print output completion time value derived for each print job. Further, 203 is an identification value (ID) of this print job, and 204 is a value indicating the order in which this print job is registered in the printer queue.

FIG. 5 shows an example of a method of calculating the print output completion time of each print job performed in the processing of FIG. In FIG. 5, some print data 300 for print output completion time measurement (two types in this example) are transmitted to a printer that can be used at system startup for each data type, and the print output completion time is measured. Then, based on them, the time conversion table 310
To create. Using the time conversion table, the virtual print simulation 330 in the spooler of the server for the print data 320 of the print request.
Is used to count the number of each data type actually measured at 300, and the print output completion time 340 is derived.
Specifically, since the print data 320 is divided into A16 pieces and B8 pieces by the time change table 330, the print output completion time 340 is T1 × 16 + T2 × 8. The print output completion time is derived as described above.

FIG. 6 shows a process when the print job described in FIG. 1 is spooled and is in the print output waiting state, and the contents of the printer queue are changed such as the print job in the printer queue is deleted. Is a flow chart showing. A change occurs at 400 and the process begins. In 410, the rearrangement of the print job according to the change of the printer queue content based on the job data,
It is determined whether the print output completion time needs to be changed. When a change is required, the user is notified of the change at 420. At 430, this process ends.
This process continues until the spooled print job starts printing.

FIG. 7 shows an example of the processing of FIG. The status in the printer queue is 510 print job 1, 520 print job 2, as seen in FIG.
530 print jobs 3 and 540 print jobs 4 are in a print waiting state, and the job data relating to each print job is 210, 220, 230, 2 in each print job in the format of 200 in FIG.
The value described as 40 shall be applicable. The unit of print output time is minutes. 520 now in this state
If the print job 2 is deleted, it is determined whether all the print jobs in the printer queue require rearrangement according to the order in which the print jobs are registered in the printer queue. As a result, the 530 print job 3 and the 540 print job 4 are rearranged because the 520 print job 2 is the number 3, 4 which is larger than the order 2 registered in the printer queue. Therefore, the print output completion time is changed, that is, the print output completion time of 420 print job 2 for 530 print jobs 3 and 540 print jobs 4 is output 5 minutes earlier than time 6
Minutes and 13 minutes are re-notified to users 1 and 3, respectively.

FIG. 8 shows an example of processing for changing the print output completion time in the print job change processing in the print waiting state. When the 520 print job 2 is deleted as in the case of FIG. 7, the printer is stopped during the print output completion time of 5 minutes of the 520 print job 2 by inserting the 550 print control program at the position of the 520 print job 2. To As a result, the print output completion time of the 530 print job 3 and the 540 print job 4 is not changed, and the print output is performed at the time notified at the time of the print output request.

This is the end of the description of the embodiment of the present invention.

[0016]

As described above, according to the present invention, when some print jobs in the print waiting state are subjected to the change processing accompanying the change of the print queue contents and the output completion time of another print job is changed, the changed print output completion time Is notified to the corresponding user again, so that it is possible to prevent other print output from being mistakenly taken.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the present embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a system configuration diagram.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating processing contents when a print output is requested.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing job data.

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a method of calculating a print output completion time.

FIG. 6 is a detailed view of processing contents when changing a print job while waiting for printing.

FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a first example of a print job changing process in the print waiting state.

FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a second example of processing when a print job is changed in the print waiting state.

[Explanation of symbols]

11, 12 ... Client, 11-1 ... Operating system, 11-2 ... Client side network driver, 20 ... Network, 31, 32 ... Server, 3
1-1 ... server side network driver, 31-2, 3
2-2 ... spooler, 31-3, 32-3 ... printer queue, 31-4 ... printer driver, 41, 42 ... printer, 51, 52, 53, 54 ... workstation, 1
00 ... Start processing, 110 ... Print output request, 120 ...
Issuance of new print job, 130 ... Transfer of print data and new print job, 140 ... Registration of new print job in printer queue and data type count of print data, 150 ... Calculation of print output completion time of new print job and job Data storage, 160 ... Notification to user of print output completion time of new print job, 1
70 ... End of processing, 200 ... Job data, 201 ... User name, 202 ... Print output completion time, 203 ... Print job ID, 204 ... Print job registration number in printer queue, 210 ... Job data 1, 220 ... Job data 2, 230 ... Job data 3, 240 ... Job data 4, 300 ... Print output completion time measurement print data, 310 ... Time conversion table, 320 ... Print data, 330 ... Simulation, 340 ... Print output completion time, 400 ... Print Job change processing start, 410 ... Presence / absence of change of print output completion time, 420
... Re-notification of change time, 430 ... End of change process, 510 ...
Print jobs 1, 520 ... Print jobs 2, 530
... print jobs 3, 540 ... print jobs 4, 55
0 ... Printer control program.

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Inventor Tsutohiro Ono 292 Yoshida-cho, Totsuka-ku, Yokohama-shi, Kanagawa Stock company Hitachi Microelectronics Device Development Laboratory

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A system configuration in which a printer is connected to some or all of two or more information processing devices and the information processing devices, and the information processing devices have a system configuration in which they are connected by a communication line or the like. When a print output request is made from the information processing device to the printer, the print output completion time for the print output request is calculated and the print output completion time is notified to the print output requester. If some of the print output requests change and the print output completion times of other print output requests need to be changed accordingly, those change times are changed to the print output corresponding to each print output request. A print output control method characterized in that the requester is notified again.